BitTorrent DNA for all

BitTorrent, whose P2P technology has been said to be responsible for more than 40 per cent of Internet traffic, are opening up their file share technology through a new interface service; BitTorrent DNA (Delivery Network Accelerator).

In February, the privately held company opened an online video store to sell videos licensed from Hollywood studios. Now it says Brightcove, will be the first customer of DNA. Brightcove currently distributes video programmes over the Internet for companies including CBS Corp, Fox Entertainment, MTV Networks and New York Times Co.

The company says its DNA service allows content providers to tap into its P2P expertise and will mean big savings for media companies that are making content available online. There are already more than 150m users of BitTorrent's existing software: “We are collecting this resource of users and adding to the capacity of the network,” says Ashwin Navin, president and co-founder of BitTorrent. “Now, with DNA, we have an interface where any company can tap into this network.”

Navin said BitTorrent DNA can boost the efficiency of video-streaming networks that use services provided by Akamai and Limelight Networks which help speed the delivery of Web content. He said most companies spend more than 20 cents an hour to stream video over the Internet, which means they lose money because they cannot pull in more than 20 cents an hour in advertising revenue. BitTorrent DNA will help customers push the cost of streaming video to less than 20 cents per hour, he claimed.